Welcome to the Radical '90's
by SuperDuperLights
Summary: Cherie has no problem dealing with Umbridge, telling Malfoy to sod off, or even challenging the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team to a game in exchange for the best spot in the common room, though she can barely fly a broom. But when it comes to Harry Potter? Well, she never saw that coming.
1. Chapter 1

Sunlight streams in from huge windows in our History of Magic classroom and light up the room in a way that makes everything glow. It's 8 a.m. and a cat nap is very much needed. I rest my head on my folded arms lying on my desk and turn my head to face my best friend sitting beside me. A strand of my own blonde hair gets highlighted and my eyes zoom in on the brightness.

"Terry Boot," I murmur.

Madeline turns her head and lets out a soft laugh when she sees me sprawled across my desk, "What about him?"

"How far?"

"Hmm," Madeline taps the pencil in her right hand against her desk and runs her other hand through her hair. She eyes Terry's brown mop of hair, sitting three rows in front of us, and determines, "third base."

"No way," I argue, reaching out to hit her arm, "who would ever go down on him?" My question comes out louder than I intend for it to and Lisa Turpin, a fellow Ravenclaw and dorm mate of ours, turns around and shushes me. I stick my tongue out at her when she turns her head back to the board and Madeline leans over the gap between our desks. She grabs a spare piece of parchment that has a few scribbles on it and writes, "Emily Opine" in curly cursive.

"No way!" I let out a loud laugh and everyone but Professor Binns looks at me. Emily Opine's big blue eyes stare at me from the front row and I have to put my head down to cover up another laugh.

When everyone has turned their attention back to Binns, well in reality everyone goes back to snoozing, Madeline taps her pencil on my head and whispers, "Parvati told me."

"How would she know?" I demand.

"Um, because Gryffindor's in the same grade and gender share dorms and dirty secrets just like Ravenclaws?"

"Okay, okay," I sit up and lean back in my seat, stretching my legs in front of me, "Hermione Granger?"

A voice speaks up from behind us, "What are you two whispering about?"

"Bug off, Finnigan," I reach my arm behind me and shove his head away.

"Come on, I'm just as bored as the two of you," He whines and lifts a curl away from Madeline's face. She grins at him and a throat is cleared from another male behind us.

"Will you lot shut up? I'm trying to sleep."

"Shut up, Dean. I'm talking to the ladies," Seamus winks at me and I roll my eyes before turns backing to Madeline.

"So? How far has she gone?"

"Oh! I love this game!" Seamus inches his desk forward.

Madeline finger combs the ends of her hair, and says, "Hmm… proper snogging."

"With what? A book?" Seamus snorts and I smile triumphantly.

"No need to be so mean, Cherie," Madeline chides me, poking me on the side. I flinch away and glare at her. We all take a moment to eye Hermione, who is sitting in the row in front of us next to a passed out Ronald Weasley and an on-the-way-to-passing-out Harry Potter.

"Harry Potter?" Madeline whispers to Seamus and me. I look at the untidy mess of black hair and say, "second base" just as Seamus leans forwards.

"Never been kissed," He confesses, raising his eyebrows when we turn and stare at him. He nods dramatically and Madeline sighs.

"Ugh, poor bastard, he deals with so much shit and he's not even getting any."

I hum sympathetically and then straighten my posture, "Now, I'm depressed. Pick someone else!"

Seamus swats at my hair and says, "I got one. Miss. Cherie Oakley here."

Madeline pats my head, "Well, she's very smart, and so that's a turn off for all the super-hot Quidditch players," Seamus nods and Madeline kicks my leg with her foot, "but great legs so I'm sure she's got plenty of offers, and her hair," Seamus lifts a wad of my hair and leans close to inspect, "that hair, who could not be turned on by the glossy strawberry blonde hair of Cherie?"

"_Strawberry_ blonde?" I scoff and roll my eyes.

"Hmm, well, she's definitely had a few make out sessions and I heard she touched Anthony Goldstein's penis one time…" Madeline directs her eyes to the golden haired beauty of the Ravenclaw house and sighs. Seamus stares at me with big eyes and lets out a laugh.

"You promised you'd never tell anyone about that!"

…

As we leave History of Magic and enter the crowded hallway, Madeline slings an arm over my shoulder and squeezes me, "Sorry babe, eventually people had to find out." I give her a glare and she shoves me away, "Such a drama queen." Her shove sends me stumbling into a mob of Hufflepuff sixth years, all of whom apologize and help me to stand back up. I swat away their wandering hands and rejoin Madeline on the pursuit to Transfiguration.

"Perverts, the lot of them," I complain, sending a glare back to the Hufflepuff boys.

"But they're just so damn helpful." We spot good old Lisa on the way to McGonagall's class and Madeline gives her a smack on the bum. Lisa jumps and shrieks', rolling her eyes once she sees it's the two of us.

"Why are you always smacking my bum, Madeline?" She questions, straightening her backpack on her shoulders. Her curly blonde hair is piled on top of her head and she reaches up absentmindedly to make sure it's secure.

"I just really like you," Madeline smirks as Lisa gives her another look.

"How's your day going, Lisa?" I question, leaning forward to look at her on the other side of Madeline.

Lisa checks again to make sure her bun is safe and smiles at me, "Well, it's only been History so far, and it was great and all, except for you two nitwits playing your silly game. I thought that was a phase from last year."

Madeline sends a friendly wave to Neville Longbottom, who is running past us to make it to Potions on time. His backpack makes it difficult though as it seems to be firing off puss at him. He sends a distracted smile at us and continues running. Madeline fluffs her hair and declares, "Ah, I just truly love Neville, don't you?"

"Yeah, he's swell," I mimic her and try to give volume to my hair with a few practiced hand movements, "Sorry Lisa, the game lives on." Lisa sighs.

…

Lisa and I are swapping the first day back gossip as Madeline changes into her bedtime clothes when Padma Patil and Mandy Brocklehurst, our fourth and fifth roommates, burst into our shared dorm. Padma drops her book bag on her bed, which is across from mine and closest to the bathroom, and lies still as though the world is too much for her all the sudden. Mandy smiles at me and Lisa and asks for one of us to braid her hair.

"You can take this one," I say to Lisa. Mandy has straight light brown hair that reaches down to touch her bum. It's always been this long and I've spent the last four years trying to get the nickname "Rapunzel" to stick. It's a bitch to braid or do really anything with because it's so thick. I watch Lisa begin to braid and turn my gaze to Padma, "what's up, Patil?"

"My whole life is over," comes the cheerful response.

"Why?" Madeline asks, exiting the bathroom and coming to sit beside me on my bed. I shove her away when she tries to put her feet in my lap and she grabs my reading glasses off my face in retaliation.

"So, this is how my day went," Padma sits up to face us all and I grab my glasses back from Madeline, "I'm sitting in History of Magic with Lav and Parvati, and Parvati tells me that Michael is currently now dating that little ginger Weasley, even though he owled me all summer, saying how much he liked me. So, during Ancient Runes, I confront the little bugger and he tells me he meant how much he 'liked me as a friend'…" The four of us wince. Padma nods and continues, "so, I roll my eyes and call him out and he pats my shoulder and says he's sorry and he didn't realized I fancied him so much!" We all let out a chorus of apologies and aggressive threats towards our male Ravenclaw.

Madeline moves to sit next Padma on her bed and wraps an arm around her shoulders, "Well, Michael has no ambition or manners, so no real loss, Padma. Let the Weasley girl have him and when he comes crawling back to you, you'll have moved on to bigger and better things… like Draco Malfoy." Mandy and I let out a chorus of "ew" and Lisa actually shudders. Padma looks just as depressed as she did two minutes ago and falls back onto her bed.

"You really need to get over that weird crush you have on Draco Malfoy," I say, making my way under my covers, "he's just getting more and more pale." Lisa nods in agreement and fluffs her pillows.

"If you're going to like a Syltherin, why can't it be someone like Blaise Zabini? Talk about dreamy," Mandy pipes up.

"You," I state, pointing a finger at Rapunzel, "are just as bad as Madeline is with your little crush."

"It's not a crush!" Mandy protests, "I am just able to recognize his beauty."

Madeline scoffs and goes to sit on her bed, "What beauty? All he does is sulk around and glare at any and everything that moves."

"Oi! Shut it, Mrs. Malfoy. All your boy does is curse unsuspecting people."

"You really need to get over the one time he sent a tripping jinx at you... it was second year."

Lisa lets out a loud laugh as Mandy huffs and closes her curtains around her bed, "Really, Mandy, it was second year."

"He made me trip in front of Oliver Wood," comes Mandy's muffled response, "you know he was my first love."

Madeline grins widely and teases, "You mean your first _naughty_ dream."

I throw a pillow at her as Mandy shrieks, "You promised you'd never tell!"

"Madeline is spilling a lot of secrets today," I say.

"Oh, come on, you know it was an accident, plus you should be proud!"

Padma's head lifts from her pillow, "Did you tell someone about the time Cherie touched Anthony's penis again?"

"Again!" I throw a glare at my smirking best friend and turn my next glare towards Padma, "how would you guess that so quickly?"

"Well," She drawls, situating herself under her blankets, "it's the only thing you've ever done that you have to be proud of."

Lisa lets out another loud laugh and Mandy's is heard through her curtains. I am stuck between glaring at Padma's wide smile and Madeline's obvious grin. I settle on glaring at my traitor of a best friend, "So what does she mean by again? Who else have you told?"

Madeline lazily stretches out her back and falls back on her bed, "I might have mentioned to Fred Weasley when I crashed one of Gryffindor's parties and got a little bit drunk...," I groan in misery at a Weasley twin knowing something personal about me, "...and I also might have had a laugh about it with Daphne Greengrass in the girls lavatory once..."

"A laugh about it? With that Slytherin?"

"Oh, you know Daphne's totally nice, well, as nice as a Slytherin can be and she won't say anything to anyone, she was complaining about Anthony herself and how he's a total prick and used her and all that and she touched it, too."

I let out a laugh and roll my eyes, "He is a bit of a prick, isn't he?" The girls all murmur words of agreement and I roll my eyes again at Madeline, "She's alright, I know. At least it's not as embarrassing as being dared to make out with Pansy Parkinson." All of us let out a laugh at that, even Madeline, who scrubbed her mouth with soap for a week after having to exchange salvia with Pansy.

I yawn and glance at Lisa, who looks half asleep and Padma, who looks too tired to be bothered enough to scrub off her make up. Madeline's bed is next to me and she shuts off the lamp on the end table between our beds. Soon after our light switches off, Lisa's follows and Mandy's arm reaches from behind her curtains to shut off the lamp between Padma and her beds. Padma stumbles up a few seconds later to go change in the bathroom and Mandy makes ugly faces at me when the bathroom lights light up our beds. After a few double chins, Madeline whispers, "Hey, are you all right? Padma told me what happened on the train yesterday while I was at the Prefect's meeting."

I give a small smile at her and say, "I'm alright, I'm just really tired right now, so we'll talk in the morning." Madeline nods and turns away from me to get comfortable in her bed.

I sigh and pat my bed around me, feeling for my worn out rabbit I always sleep with. Holding her in my arms, I lift my eyes to the ceiling and sigh once more. I'm more happy than ever to be back at school, especially after the worst summer of my life.

* * *

**A/N **

**Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

The dorm is pitch black when I open my eyes the next morning and for a moment, I think it must be the middle of the night. I feel peaceful, in the only way waking up and knowing you still have time to sleep can do. I reach my arms out from under the covers, and stretch. My whole body cracks and I sigh in content. I reach my arm out again to feel its muscles awake – and end up whacking the bedside lamp. It tumbles to the floor as I make a half-ass attempt to stop it. My efforts hardly matter as it reaches the floor in a CRASH! before I can even get my shoulders out from under the sheets.

"What the bloody hell?" Mandy croaks from across the room.

"Just the lamp," I assure her. It really is no problem; I've broken everything in our dorm at least once.

"Of course, it's the bloody lamp," Padma moans from her covers, "you manage to break everything, Cherie." She says this like it's a bad thing.

"Why is it so bloody dark in here?"

"Oi!" I say, pointing a finger at Lisa, "Will you all stop saying bloody in every question and statement you direct towards me? And it's dark because it's the middle of the bloody night."

"No, it's not," Madeline mumbles. I look at her and she lifts her tired eyes to mine before snuggling further into her covers, "My wand alarm went off ages ago."

"WHAT!" Padma shrieks. She jumps out of her bed and becomes a blur as she gathers up her uniform and various beauty objects before slamming the bathroom door behind her. Lisa isn't any slower: she jumps up, rips her clothes off in a dramatic fashion and puts a clean blouse on before shimmying her way into yesterday's skirt. She bunches her hair into her trademark bun and grabs her bag from the floor, running from the room, yelling about not missing out on all the good muffins.

"Don't you wake up early anyways?" I question the bundle of blankets I presume to still be Madeline, "They should be on time."

"They will be," Madeline yawns, "but you know I like to see Padma all flustered." Mandy snorts, still under her own covers.

"Alright then," I cheer, "back to bed."

…

Mandy, Madeline and I skip breakfast as we oversleep and Madeline's too afraid to see Padma as we all suspect she'll be a little angry about none of us telling her she didn't have to rush. We make our slow walk to class; Madeline to Divination (where she'll have to deal with Padma's wrath) and Mandy and I to Care of Magical Creatures.

"Can we talk about how I'm about to have the best sleep of my life in this class?" Madeline says, running a hand through her long hair.

"Only because you'll be so tired after having to climb all the way to your classroom," I tease.

"Right," Madeline groans, "remind me again why I'm taking this class… _again_."

"No idea," Mandy grins, "Have a ball!" She pats Madeline on the head and grabs my arm to drag me to class. I look behind me and see Madeline's pouting expression and offer up a sympathetic shrug. It's not my fault she's stuck with Trelawney for another year.

…

"You know," I say as Mandy and I make our way into the common room, "this must be the first time I haven't gotten injured in that class." I lift my hands to my eye level and appreciate their lack of burns. We sidestep a crying second year that runs out the portrait still open from our arrival. Mandy looks after the girl in surprise as I catch sight of what made her cry: a group of laughing boys that I happen to be stuck with.

Mandy continues the topic at hand, not noticing my venomous look at our housemates, "Where's your adventure, Cherie? That class is about to be such a bore without Hagrid. That Grubbly-Plank woman drives me to tears," Mandy sighs and slouches: either from the weight of her bag or the prospect of another lesson with Grubbly-bore.

"Oi!" I yell, catching Mandy by surprise as she straightens up and looks around like the sky is falling. I begin to march up to the group of five boys, dropping my bag by Mandy. I almost turn back when I see Anthony Goldstein standing in the middle of the group, staring at me with his arms crossed, but I make my way on. When I get to them, I stand with my hands on my hips, looking up at Michael Corner who smirks down at me, as he's a giant and a giant prick. I glare even more at his smirking face, "Don't smirk at me, Corner. Don't even look at me. What'd you lot do to make that second year cry?"

Terry Boot places a hand on my shoulder which I quickly shrug off. I won't be forgetting about Emily Opine and him anytime soon. Terry flips his hair out of his eyes, "Cherie, we didn't do anything. You know how sensitive those younger students are. All we did was compliment her spell work and she burst into tears."

I roll my eyes and open my mouth to call him a liar, but Stephen Cornfoot cuts me off, "Honest. All we did was _show_ her the proper way to do a tripping jinx." Michael hits him as he's obviously said too much and Stephen rubs his arm. Kevin Entwhistle snickers from next to Anthony and I throw a glare their way to shut him up. He snickers louder. I must work on my intimidation techniques.

"Bugger off, Kevin," Mandy speaks up from next to me, having followed after me. She crosses her arms like Anthony and shoots him a glare as well. "You boys act just like Slytherins, picking on the younger students. You ought to feel ashamed and apologize as soon as that poor girl gets back from crying."

Michael glances towards the portrait hole and points our attention towards it, "She's already back, she wasn't that upset it seems." We all look over and see the young girl being guided back in the common room by a sixth year, Cho Chang. Cho leans over and gives the girl a hug and whispers something in her ear. The second year nods and smiles and races past us upstairs before I can make the boys apologize.

Cho straightens up and adjusts her skirt before searching the common room and lands her eyes on the group of us. She makes her way to us and I hear Stephen sigh from behind me. Cho Chang is something of a goddess in Ravenclaw, she is undeniably gorgeous with her soft features and long, glossy dark hair. She is smart (obviously, _Ravenclaw_) and very kind to everyone. She also sort of tragic, what with her boyfriend dying last year; and people are always attracted to tragic. When Cho arrives in front of us, she sends a smile at me, which I hesitantly return, before she focuses her dark eyes on the boys.

"Ingrid told me you boys used a tripping jinx on her a few moments ago," her voice is soft and feminine, but also scolding as she looks at each boy in turn, "It's very mean to use jinxes on younger students, especially ones who are already have trouble fitting in." I look behind me and see all five boys with bowed heads. I roll my eyes and look back at Cho.

"It was an honest mistake, Cho," Anthony's low voice speaks up and I have to stop myself from looking at him. I'm sure he's using his charming smile on Cho right now. However, Cho's disappointed look doesn't waiver and she merely raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm sure it was," She says, glancing at Mandy and I, "it'd be best, though, if you apologize at lunch and make it up to her." The boys all agree to do so and disperse except Anthony, who leans against the wall behind him and looks at the three of us girls.

Mandy turns towards me and grins, "Well, best go take my nap while we have this break, so I'll catch up with you before Defense!" She runs up the stairs to the girls' dorms and I feel the need to run after her or yell at her. Thanks Mandy, I'll just hang with my two best friends, Cho and Anthony.

Anthony pushes himself off the wall and moves to stand next to me. He shoots a grin at Cho, who once again raises an eyebrow. He turns his grin to me and says, "Hi, Cherie, could we talk for a moment?"

"No." Cho laughs and Anthony rolls his eyes and walks up to his room.

Cho smiles at me, all the sudden not as sassy as she was a few minutes ago, "Mind if we talk?"

I feel claustrophobic but nod and we move to a couple chairs further away from the majority. I sit in a chair across from her and cross legs. She sits quietly and crosses her ankles and smiles hesitantly. Her eyes keep on me even as I move my own eyes from my lap to the ceiling and finally look into hers. Her smile slips a little and she asks, "How was your summer?"

"What a question," I let out a strained laugh, "it was…," I look at her understanding eyes and sigh, "bad."

In a quiet whisper, Cho confesses, "Mine too."

We sit in sadness for a moment before I can't take the silence of it all and burst into a monologue stuck in an awkward mix of anger and sadness, "It was dreadful, really. It was really horrible and silent and stuffy. Everyone in my family was silent around me and didn't ask how I was or what I felt like, they were afraid I'd combust! My dad avoided me all together because he couldn't stand my sobbing the first few nights and my mom just had the maid bring me tea. Tea! As if that would help me from crying. And Matthew was never home because he's spending all his time at his new job with Mr. Ollivander and all the rest of his time with Jessica. He's supposed to always be there! I'm his sister. And I can't breathe when I think of what happened and Madeline won't understand and he was my friend and my neighbor and every time I see his parents, they look so empty and their house looks empty and dark and I don't even know what I'll do if I run into his friends," I end in a huff of tears and snot and I wipe it all off with my sleeve and finally look at Cho, who's eyes I avoided after I started talking about tea. She is wiping at her own eyes and moves to sit on the arm of my chair. She puts an arm around me and her long hair surrounds us like a curtain as she places her head on top of mine.

"I know exactly how you feel. Cedric meant a lot to me, too."

"It's just so bloody unfair," I mumble into her sweater, "if I ever see Voldermort, I'd kill him, I really, really would."

"I know, Cherie, I know."

…

An hour later, Mandy and I make it to our Defense class. We're clearly the last ones there as only two opens seats are left. I make a face at Madeline who shrugs from next to Jeffrey Illky, a Hufflepuff who's had a crush on her since third year. Padma and Lisa sit in front of her, and there is an open seat in front of them, but next to Anthony. I look at my other option, Susan Bones in the last row. I jog to Susan before Mandy makes me be partners with Anthony.

"Hi, Cherie," Susan greets with a smile as I take my seat next to her, "You look very pretty today, I like your hair like that." I touch my pigtails and give Susan a warm smile before complimenting her on her own hair. It's in dark brown ringlets surrounding her smiling face. Susan and I were partners in Potions last year and made it through the class by drawing pictures of Snape in a tutu. We're fairly close, but not as much as I'd like as we're in separate houses. She's best of friends with Hannah Abbott, a small girl who made Prefect this year with red hair, and I ask Susan why they aren't sitting together.

"She's sitting with Ernie," Susan says, pointing to her best friend and the other Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan, "they just started dating this summer." I look at them as they lean in to each other and Hannah whispers something to him. They're a cute couple. Hannah is a bit timid and small, and Ernie a trifle too loud and tall, but they work together and I smile and Ernie does.

"I'm sort of nervous for this class," Susan confides as our new teacher walks in and the class quiets down, "I heard she gave Harry a week of detentions yesterday."

"Why would she do that?" I question as Professor Umbridge spells her name in loopy letters on the board. Her wand continues to write out O.W.L's on the board as our textbooks float to us.

Susan keeps her eyes on Umbridge as she responds, "They got in an argument over whether You-Know-Who is back." I stiffen and turn my eyes towards Umbridge. Susan and I share a quick look after a moment and I know she believes Harry just like I do.

"Put your wands away," Umbridge directs in a nasally, demanding voice, "you won't be needing them."

…

Wednesday morning I burst into Arthimancy just as class is scheduled to start. My teacher gives me a wary look. I woke up roughly five minutes ago and it's obvious. My hair is in a sloppy bun, I have no make-up on, I'm pretty sure my underwear is on backwards and my shirt isn't tucked on. Hermione Granger gives me a look from her front row seat next to Lisa, who is laughing into her hand at the sight of me. I look back towards me teacher who points at the notes on the board and gestures for me to take a seat.

I look around for one, as I don't plan on sitting directly next to a judging Hermione all year. The other students in the class are composed of Emily Opine, who sits in the middle of the class next to a sleeping Kevin and snoring Michael, Blaise Zabini in the back row (I share a look with Lisa – Mandy will be so jealous), and Daphne Greengrass who looks up from her parchment to eye me eyeing her. She is sitting two seats behind Hermione. I take a seat behind Lisa.

"Just waking up, Oakley?" I turn my head to see Daphne Greengrass, still writing the notes from the board on a piece of parchment.

I take my bag off and reach in for my own parchment, "No, of course not. I always like to run in to class at the last possible second. It keeps people on their toes." I plop my bag on the ground next to my seat. It makes a loud noise and Lisa turns around.

"I woke you up before I left," She points out, reaching a hand up to touch her fancy bun.

"I figured I had time for a nap," I say, shrugging and beginning to write.

Daphne laughs and I feel her grab something from my hair, "Hungry?" She hands me half a piece of toast.

"How even?" I wonder, staring at the toast in fascination.

"I left some toast on your pillow," Lisa states, already having turned back to the board. I put the toast in my mouth and start chewing obnoxiously in hopes that Lisa will show me her beautiful face. Hermione makes a disgusted noise but doesn't turn around. Lisa throws her quill at me while still facing forward; it catches me off guard and stabs me in the cheek. I swallow my toast quickly and pick up Lisa's quill. She already has a new one out and is using it to write. I shrug and put it in my bag.

"Thanks for the extra quill, lovely Lisa."

Arthimancy is dead boring, like every other class I'm in but I struggle through by flicking things in Lisa's hair. I soon notice Hermione has wads of parchment in her hair, too and I turn and see Daphne still innocently writing. She winks at me once she notices I'm still staring at her and I grin. The teacher doesn't talk at all, just lets us copy the absurdly large amount of notes on the board. As the end of class comes to a close, we're all finished and quietly talking to one another.

I hear Emily Opine laughing at one of Kevin's annoying jokes and Lisa compliments Hermione on her neat writing. Daphne snorts from behind me and I shot her look.

"What?" She asks, smiling. She puts her elbows on her desk and leans forward, "I'm laughing with them."

"If you're going to laugh at someone, don't laugh at Lisa. She's adorable. Laugh at Emily Opine, she's a secret slut." We both look at Emily, who has her hand on Kevin's arm as she laughs.

Daphne wrinkles her nose, "If anyone was a secret slut, I would've guessed it be you, Cherie."

"Oh, no," Lisa has turned around and Hermione turns with her, "Cherie is a not-so-secret slut. Have you heard about her and Anthony Goldstein?"

"Oh, for bloody – Lisa, no."

"Oh, yes," Daphne says, shooting another wink at me as I turn to face her, "I've heard all about it." I remember Madeline saying they'd had a laugh together about Anthony and me. I stick my tongue out at Daphne.

"Anthony?" Hermione says, looking at me curiously as my tongue retreats to my mouth, "are you two dating?"

"No," I protest, shooting Lisa a death glare, "inside joke."

"Right," Daphne says, moving from her seat and sliding into the one next to mine. She smiles at Hermione, "like Granger and I believe that." Hermione smiles back in a hesitant way.

"Really, Greengrass, like you're one to talk," I say, remembering that Madeline said Daphne had her own history with him.

"I know, I know, but I've only touched Ron Weasley once or twice."

Hermione chokes and says, "What?!" in a way that a girl does when she cares about what a boy she likes does. I look at Lisa for confirmation and she nods her head.

"Just kidding, Granger," Daphne says, picking up her bag and putting it across one shoulder, "he's all yours." She walks across the front of the room in a slow model-like way and exits just as the bell signals the end of class.

"What does she mean by that?" Hermione says all indignant like while Lisa and I pack up. "He's 'all yours,' what does that mean? I just swallowed my spit all wrong, that's why I choked!"

…

Dinner turns intense when Padma makes Parvati and Lavender come sit with us. The three of them are wild together and in about thirty seconds they have the attention of the whole Ravenclaw table. Lavender is an expert story teller, changing her voice and waving her arms around, while Padma and Parvati act out what she says. On top of their mayhem, Mandy's twin brothers, Jeremy and Adam, who are fourth year Gryffindor's, bring their friends to the open spot next to us. Madeline starts a food fight with them when Jeremy starts teasing her about her crush of Draco Malfoy.

Lavender starts shrieking, "MY HAIR!" when mashed potatoes thrown by one of Jeremy and Adam's dorm mates, Colin Creevey, fly into her hair. The boys scatter when she turns an angry glare to them, and once they leave, she huffs in anger and stalks to the bathroom with Padma and Parvati in tow.

"She's a lot to handle," Mandy observes as Lavender pushes Kevin out of her way. He stumbles and falls into Stephen and Michael, who starts laughing at the sight of his shocked face.

"Yes," Madeline agrees, twirling her hair between her fingers, "but she's always good for a laugh. To the library then, girls?" Madeline stands up from her seat, and Lisa and I follow suit. Mandy stays put and continues to devour her chicken.

"Are you coming?" I ask, wrinkling my noise as chicken flies from her mouth.

"No, you go ahead. I think I'll sleep before Astronomy."

"Suit yourself," Lisa says, leading us towards the Great Hall's doors. I salute Mandy, who nods and shoves mashed potatoes in her mouth. I loop my arm through Madeline's, but when I reach for Lisa. she quickens her pace.

"She is so afraid we're going to embarrass her more than we already do," Madeline says, shaking her head, "what a gem."

"Look at her walk; she is a supermodel in the making."

Lisa throws us a look over her shoulder, "Stop talking about me." Madeline and I giggle and quicken our pace to match hers. She turns around again to tell us off, but fails to notice someone's book bag on the ground. She trips and catches air, landing with her hands holding her off the ground. The owner of the book bag turns around in shock, and of course, it's Hermione Granger: the only student to bring their books to dinner.

"Oh, Lisa!" Hermione jumps out of her seat to help Lisa up. Madeline and I unlatch arms in order to hoist Lisa up from bother her arms. Dusting her off, I notice Ron Weasley laughing over his plate and I reach over and swat his head with my hand. He sits up and gives me an indignant look. No one makes fun of Lisa except for me… and Madeline.

"Oi!" He protests, as Hermione moves her bag out of the walk way and Lisa brushes off her skirt in a dignified way, "You can't hit a Prefect! Ten points from Ravenclaw!"

"Ron," Hermione groans, "you can't just take house points away from everyone you please."

Madeline points a finger at him, "Well, you can't yell at another Prefect's best mate, so ten points from Gryffindor!" Hermione groans again and Seamus Finnegan slides his plate down next to Harry Potter, who is smiling from across the table.

"You tell 'im, Madeline," Seamus cheers, raising his goblet to her. Madeline rolls her eyes at him and grins. I roll my eyes, too, because if I have to deal with the two of them flirting in front of me for another moment…

"Seamus, stop flirting with those stupid Ravenclaws and come finish your story," Dean Thomas calls from down the table. Lisa gives him a look for his 'stupid' comment and he smirks at the three of us, "Only joking! You know that I know the whole lot of you is smarter than Seamus." Seamus lets out a yell, sliding his plate and himself back down the table.

"Smarter than you, too, Thomas," I call out, looping my arm back through Madeline's, "let's go, girls. I can't stand to be around so much stupidity." We push Lisa to keep walking and the three of us make for the door again. Dean, Ron, and Seamus let out yells of protests. I turn back around and wink at a laughing Harry and Hermione. "See you in Astronomy, boys," I yell, "you can show me how much smarter you are then!"

We make it, finally, outside the Great Hall and head up the staircase for the library. Lisa sighs, "I can count on one hands the number of times you two haven't embarrassed me in front of a large crowd."

"What are you talking about?" I shout, shoving her shoulder, "that was in no way our fault whatsoever that you, being a great klutz, fell to the floor."

"If you hadn't been teasing me, I would've never looked back."

"Oh, shut it. It was all Hermione's fault, technically, for leaving her bag in the open like that," I cross my arms, "you should make her apologize."

Lisa shoves my arm this time, "As if."

"Seamus is so fit."

"Oh, Madeline, you were so quiet," I say, turning my head to observe her, "stuck in gaga land with images of Seamus?"

"You better believe it. If I had the chance, I'd ride him like a horse," Madeline says, flipping her hair behind her shoulders. Lisa chokes and I giggle, bumping my hip into Madeline's.

"You are very naughty, Madeline. Poor Lisa is going to choke on her own spit at the thought of you and Seamus."

"Little Lisa," Madeline throws an arm over Lisa and I's shoulders, "there is so much to teach you and so little time."

"We're fifteen, not fifty."

"Right you are, Cherie. Don't worry, Lisa, I'll teach you all I know."

"No thanks."


End file.
